Switch



April l, 1947- c. E. BAZLEY 2,418,329.

SWITCH Filed Aug. rea.l 1944 mgl L... 6 2 @mi A4 FigA;

Ihvet'or:

l Carl Eaz! y,

by )Veuf/ His Abtcmey Patented Apr. l, 1947 swrrcn Carl E. Bazley, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation o! New York Application August 28, 1944, Serial No. 5534484 s claims. (ci. zoo-165) My invention relates to switches, more particularly to electromagnetically operated switches,

and has for its object a simple and reliable shockproof switch.

In carrying out my invention in one form, I provide two spring contact arms which are mounted so` as to extend in substantially parallel relation with each-other and which are provided with contacts on theirends normally in engagement with eachother. For controlling the engagement and disengagement of the contacts, I provide a slider member made of electrically insulating material having a slot or aperture providing side walls between which the two spring arms extend. When the slidler member is moved to one extreme position, the' side walls of the slot engage opposite sides of the spring arms wherebythe spring arms are secured with the contacts in engagement with each other. Movement of th slider in the opposite direction to an extreme position brings a projecting separating member between the spring arms whereby pairs II, I2 and i3 of spring contact members or arms secured to the insulating support 4 by means of suitable screws, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The contact arms extend, as seen in. Fig. 3, in substantially perpendicular relation to the support 4 and in parallel relation with each other. these positions being the normal biased positions of the arms. On its outer movable end each conv tact arm is provided with an electric switch contact on the side adjacent thegother arm of the pair so that when the armsi arefsubstantially parallel, the contacts of each'pair are in engagement with each other. As shown in Fig. 3,

the pairs of contacts I4 and I5 are in engagement with each other. A

With the plate I in its uppermost position, as

4shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the pairs of spring conthey are forced apart and each held securely between walls of separate relatively narrow slots. For a more complete understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 of which is a side elevation view of an electromagnetically operated switch embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is. a front elevation view of the device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; while Fig. i is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the switch in its open circuit position.

Referring to the drawing. inone form of my invention I provide a slider member I in the form of a plate and made from a rigid electrically insulating material such as a suitable hard nbre. This plate isV mounted for limited sliding movement on two supporting bars 2 and 3, secured to an electrically insulating supporting member 4 which, in turn, is secured to a metal supportingbracket 5. Thus the supports 2 and 3 are cut away` at their outer ends, or left-hand ends as viewed inFig. 1, to form a shallow depression for the plate I, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, the plate being slidably secured in place by cross bars 6 and 1.

The plate or' slider membe'r I is provided in the form shown .with three slots or apertures 8, 9 and IIl` through which extend respectively tact arms II and I2 extend through the lower- Vmost relatively wide portions oi the slots 8 and 9 whereby the opposite side walls of each slot engage the spring arms and secure them in their closely spaced parallel relation, as shownfwith their contacts in engagement with eachother.

Also in this position of the plate I, the lowermost pair of contacts I3 are separatedby a pointed projection member I6 on the plate I which is p0- sitioned between them, the two contact arms then extending in widely spaced relation each through a relatively narrow slot, these slots I'I and I8 being separated by the projection I6.

When the plate lI is moved downward from the position sho'wn in Fig. 2, the pointedA separating projection members I9 and 2l move respectively between and separate the pairs of arms II and I2 thereby separating their contacts, as shown in Fig. 4. Each arm of the pairs II and I2 then extends through separate relatively narrow slots on opposite sides of the projections I9 and 20. .At the same time, when the plate was moved downward, the pair of contacts I3 moved -into the uppermost portion 2I of their slot I9 so as to be held together in closed circuit position by the side walls of this slot. As. the plate is moved downward, the spring arms I3 are engaged by the obliquely extending side walls 22 and 23 and are thereby guided into the upper portion 2| oi the slot, providing such guiding is required. This guiding by the walls 22 and' 23 might be required. for example. i! the contact arms are initially bent or deformed so as to be biased apart to their open circuit positions, as shown in I It will be observed that the rigid side walls of the relatively wide slots and the two relatively narrow slots associated with each pair of spring contact arms are parallel with the direction of the reciprocating movements of the plate I, whereas the spring contact arms are spaced apart on the supporting member 4 in a direction substantially transverse with respect to the movement of the plate I. Therefore, the walls of the slots are parallel with the sides of the spring arms and secure the spring arms rigidly in their closed and open circuit positions. Moreover, it will be observed that the two relatively narrow slots are connected with the relatively wide slot by means of two slots converging toward each other, thereby to form the pointed projection I6.

For they purpose of limiting the upward and downward movement of the plate .I, the plate is provided on its opposite sides with projections 24 and 25 which engage the supports 2 and 3 in the extreme positions of the plate.

It will be observed that the contact arms ofl held securely in both their open circuit and closed circuit positions.

For the operation of the plate l, r have shown an electromagnet comprising a coil 26 provided with a plunger armature 2,1, the coil being mounted on the bracket and additionally supported by a bracket 28 having one end secured to the upper end of the bracket 5. The plunger armature 21 is connected through a pivot 29 to a lever arm 30 having an intermediate pivot 3i, and its lefthand end connected through a pivot 32 and bracket 33 to the plate I. The armature 21 is biased to its lowermost unattracted position, as shown in Fig. 1, by means of a helical spring 34 surrounding the armature. For movement ofthe plate I downward, the coil is energized. Sullicient looseness is provided between the plate I I c many modifications may be made. and I therefore contemplate bythe appended claims to cover any such modiiications as fall within the'true spirit andiscope of my invention.

What I claim asnew and desire to secure by- Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A shockproof switch comprising a support, a member made of electrically insulating material slidably mounted on said support and having an aperture provided with a rst portion having opposite side walls substantially parallel with the direction of movement of said member, a pointed projection on a side Wall of said aperture opposite said rst portion dividing said aperture into two narrow portions, each having parallel side walls extending in the direction of movement oi said member, opposite side walls for said aperture ljoining said iirst portion with said narrow portions extending obliquely with respect to the diswitch arms extending through said aperture sef cured in closely spaced relation with respect to In the particular embodiment shown in the drawing, the two pairs of contact arms II and I2, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, are connected electrically in series with each other, the two pairs being connected in a. circuit to be controlled by means or" suitable binding posts 35 and'36. Similar binding posts 31 and 38 are provided for the pair of arms I3. I contemplate that the two pairs.

of contact arms II and I2 will be connected in anfenergizing circuit for the coil 26 together with,

for example, a push button, while the pair I3 is connected in a holding circuit for th'e coil 26.

Thus, when the coil is energized through the coneach other by said parallel side walls of said iirst portion when said member is in a rst predetermined position, said switch arms when said memloerv is moved to a second predetermined position being separated by said projection and secured in said narrow aperture portions, and said switch arms when said member is moved from said sec-v ond position tdsaid rst position being guided by said obliquely extending side walls into said firs aperture portion. v 2. A shockproof switch' comprising a support, a plate member made of rigid electrically insulating material, means slldably mounting said plate member on said support for reciprocating movement, said plate member being provided with one relatively wide slot having rigid parallel side walls extending in the direction of movement of said plate member and withtwo relatively narrow slots having rigid side walls substantially parallel with `the direction of movement of said plate member and said plate member being provided with converging slots joining said relatively narrow slots lwith said relatively Wide slot thereby to form a.

Projection opposite said relatively wide slot, a pair of spring contact arms secured in spaced relation with each other to said support and extending tlnougn said relatively wide slot when said plate member is in a iirst predetermined position, and switch contacts on said springarms secured in closed circuit contactengaging relation with each other by the rigid side walls of said relatively wide slot, said spring arms when said plate member is moved to a second predetermined position moving into said relatively narrow slots into contact disengaged relation and being secured each-between the rigid side walls of its relatively narrow slot.`

3. A switch comprising a support, an operating member made of rigid material, means slidably mounting said operating member on said support for movement back and forth in a predetermined path, said operating member being provided with at least one aperture extending along said path,

a pair of switch arms secured to said support and extending through said aperture, said aperture beingJ provided at one end with-a relatively wide portion having side walls Asubstantially parallel with said path and at its opposite end with two spaced apart relatively narrow aperture portions having each side walls extending substantially parallel with said path, said narrow aperture portions being connected with said relatively wide that I do not wish to be limited thereto since u aperture portion bycmverging aperture portions,

6 and means for moving said operating member in one direction to one position in which saidswitch REFERENCES CITED 3 11115 extend through Said lfelatlvel? Wide P01" The following references are of record in the tion so as to be secured by its side walls 1n closely me of this patent: spaced relation with each other and for moving 5 said operating member in the opposite direction UNITED STATES PATENTS to a second position in which said switch arms Number Name Date extend respectively through said relatively nar- 1,132,751 Tauber Man 23l 1915 :row aperture portions so as to be secured by the 2,173,139 Sorensen Selm 19, 1939 side walls thereof in a predetermined widely lo 2,253,969 Ck Aug 25, 1941 .v spaced relation with each other.

CARL E. BAZLEY. 

